Continuous automatic dipping tank



M. J. JENSEN CONTINUOUS AUTOMATIC DIPPING TANK Filed June 14. 1954 March 24, 1959 "Fig-5 INVENTOR 4E Mewm 1 lama BY {MVP/IQ. Ewe/n9 Mi AYTORHEY 2,s7s,s21 CONTINUOUS AUTOMATIC DIPPING TANK Melvin J. Jensen, Barron, Wis., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Hydrahone Equipment Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Application June14, 1954, Serial No. 436,274 1 Claim. (Cl. 134-126) plastic material of the type characterized by its tendency to shrink to a pronounced extent when treated with hot water. The plastic material shrinks into tight conformity with the carcass thereby greatly enhancing the appearanceof the enclosed bird. Various types of plastic materials may be used for the enclosing bag, one such type being a co-polymer of vinylidene and vinyl chloride, produced commercially by the Dow Chemical Company and sold under the trade-name Saran. It wi1l be understood, however, that the present invention isv not limited or confined to a particular. use or uses to which the device may be put.

' Heretofore, various means have been employed to douse bag-enclosed birds with hot water. One principal method is the use of a hot water spray through which the package moves on a conveyor. .Such a method is unsatisfactory for various reasons, one being that the or the like and a continuous conveyor which travels l pumps or nozzles required to circulate the spray, no

through the tank and immerses the packaged fowls below the water level. Means are also provided to apply pressure to the packages from above so that total immersion in the water is obtained.

The advantages of the present invention are, therefore, that uniform contact of uniformly hot water with all of the surface area of the bag is obtained with the result that uniform and proper shrinkage throughout the surface of the fowl is secured. In addition, there being no danger of clogging due to foreign matter arises with consequent need of shut-downs for cleaning or repair of the system. The elimination of the spray causes no excessive release of vapor or chilling of the water, and thereby reduces the amountof water vapor which is released into the room and the amount of steam consumption required to keep the water at proper temperature. In this regard, because the water is maintained within a suitably insulated tank during the continuous dipping process, much less dissipation of heat occurs than is the case with more conventional spray or splash systems.

; One of the features of the present invention is the provision of a conveyor chain which is slack enough so that itpermits the fowls to be immersed below the water level and the further provision of a large diameter wheel the water.

streams of hot water upon striking the package disperse into droplets or streams of water causing a non-uniform water temperature throughout the entire area of the packaging material which may result in non-uniform shrinkage of the plastic.

' Still another disadvantage of that foreign material tends to cling to the exterior of the bags and to wash off into the water; if the water is recirculated, the foreign material tends to clog the nozzles or the circulating pump thereby reducing the efficiency of the operation of the system. If a filter is employed, the attendant disadvantages of the use of filters, such as shut-downs, while the filter 'is changed,.are apparent.

Another disadvantage of the spray system is that when the spray hits the. packaged bird, some of. the water is a spray system isthe fact a chilled carcass and glances off and contacts the next package. The cooler water, coming in contact with the bag of the second bird shrinks the'plastic less than is desirable and less thanwould be'occasioned if hotter water were to contact the bag, thus -resulting in non-uniform shrinkage of the bag. Moreover, it is a characteristic of such bags that once having shrunk, additional hot water will not cause further shrinkage.

Still another disadvantage of the splash system is the fact that the lower portion of the package is not effectively contacted with water so that improper and uneven shrinkage in this area results. Still another disadvantage of such a system is the fact that spraying of extremely hot water results in an excessive amount of heat and release of vapor into the room, causing discomfort to the personnel working in the vicinity, and also increasing above the conveyor having its lower portion immersed in the water, the package being gripped between the periphery of the wheel and the conveyor as it advances so that the path of the. fowl is confined below the surface of Still another feature of the invention is the fact that the conveyor is slack but is also provided with a chain tightener which biases the top flight of the conveyor so that a firm contact between the wheel and the conveyor is secured.

f Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar :haracters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

"In the drawings: f Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the device. 5 Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially along i the line 22 of Fig. 1.

jFig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. l.

The present invention employs a rectangular, elongated water-tight tank 11 filled with water to a level indicated by reference numeral 12 near its top. The water is desirably at an elevated temperature, such as approximately 200? 1 to secure proper shrinkage ofthe plastic bags encasing the packages 13.of. fowls or the like, as hereinafte'r appears. To maintain such an elevated tempera ture, various means may be employed. As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, pipes 14 having small holes 16 are installed adjacent the bottom of the tank and are connected to steam lines 17, valves 18 regulating the flow of steam into the tank. It will be understood that various other means may be employed to heat the water to the desired temperature and that automatic temperature control means of standard types may be employed.

Located in the tank is a continuous wire conveyor belt 21 formed of inter-locked, bent wires 22 in a manner well understood in the conveyor art. At one end of the tank is a transverse shaft 23 mounted by means of hangers 24 on the upper edge of the sides 26 of tank 11, shaft 23 being provided with a plurality of spur gears 27 which engage the wires of the belt 21 and drive the same in the manner of sprockets. Shaft 23 may be driven by an electric motor 28 and speed reduction device 29 of conventional type. A transverse idler shaft 31 is installed by means of hangers 32 at the opposite end of the tank, the idler shaft 31 likewise bearing a plurality of spur gears 33. As the shaft23 is turned, the conveyor 21 continuously advances, its top stretch 34 moving toward the right as shown in Fig. 1.

Belt tightener roller 36 extending transversely across the tank under the top stretch 34 of the belt 21 is mounted on a transverse shaft 37, the opposite ends of which are received in arms 38 of L-shaped members which are pivoted by pivots 39 to the sides 26 of the tank. The other arms 41 of the L-shaped members are attached at their outer ends to springs 42 which are anchored to the tank. The effect of springs 42 is to bias roller 36 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 about pivot point 39. The effect of the tightener roller, therefore, is to bias the upper stretch of the conveyor upward.

An auxiliary means for tightening conveyor 21 is provided by a second transverse roller 43 located near the bottom of the tank. The opposite ends of roller 43 are received in arms 44 extending outwardly through slots 45 in vertically disposed tubes 46 located inside the sides 26 of the tank. Arms 44 are connected to plugs 47 which slide inside the tubes 46 and are biased downwardly by springs 48 located Within the tubes 46. Thus, the effect of springs 48 is to apply pressure downwardly on the lower stretch of the conveyor 21, thereby biasing the upper stretch 34 of the conveyor upwardly.

Above the level of the tank is a wheel 51 mounted on a transverse axle 52, the opposite ends of which are supported in vertical arms 53 extending above the sides 26 of tank 11. From the hub 54 on the axle 52 on either side of the wheel, extend radial arms 56 which support peripheral circular frame 57 on either side of the wheel, there being transverse cross-members 58 extending across the periphery between the ends of the radial arms 56. The periphery of the wheel 51 is provided with cylindrical band 59 of wire belting similar to that used in the conveyor 21. The position of the axle 52 and diameter of the wheel 51 are such that the lower end of the wheel is immersed in the water in tank 11.

At the delivery or input end of the tank, which is the end at which the idler shaft 31 is located, is a roller conveyor 61 which transports the package 13 to be immersed onto the top stretch 34 of the conveyor belt 21. At the opposite end of the tank is a discharge roller conveyor 62 upon which the packages are deposited after having been immersed. The roller conveyors 61 and 62 are driven in a conventional manner or the packages travel thereon by gravity. A hood (not shown) is mounted above the tank on supports 65 to draw off vapor released from the hot water in the tank.

In operation, packages 13 of fowls or other products encased in plastic bags of the character heretofore described are delivered onto the upper stretch 34 of the conveyor 21 from roller conveyor '61. When there are no packages on the conveyor 21, its upper stretch is biased to the upper position shown in dot-'and-dash lines in Fig. l. The weight of the package 13 causes the upper stretch to sag as the conveyor advances to the full line position. When the package comes in contact with the periphery of the wheel 51, it is engaged on one side by the wheel and on the opposite side by the conveyor, the conveyor sagging against the pressure of the springs 42 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The package is thus completely immersed below water line 12 as it travels through the tank and the hot Water maintained at elevated temperature by steam pipe 14 causes shrinkage of the plastic bag. The springs 42 and 48 keep the conveyor 21 in contact with the package 13 and the package in contact with the wheel 51 which causes the package to travel with the conveyor to the discharge end, thereby eliminating tendency of the package to remain inside the tank. After immersion, the package is deposited on discharge conveyor 62. In this regard, spring biased rollers 36 and 43 function to urge the conveyor 21 at the discharge end of the tank upwardly to an elevated and more nearly horizontal plane to insure against the packaged fowl rolling down the conveyor back into the tank as the packages reach the end of their travel through the tank and are discharged onto the conveyor 62.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A continuous dipping tank for articles to be immersed in liquid comprising, an elongated liquid-tight tank, a perforate continuous flexible conveyor partially immersed in said tank, a transverse drive shaft at one end of said tank and adjacent the top thereof, means on said drive shaft for engagement with said conveyor to drive the same, means for driving said drive shaft, an idler shaft at the opposite end of said tank and adjacent the top thereof, means on said idler shaft for engaging said conveyor to support the idler end thereof, said conveyor having an extended length to sag within said tank between said shafts, a perforate wheel having its lowermost part ex- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 155,869 Hilton Oct. 13, 1874 319,028 Rochlitz June 2, 1885 830,933 Skinner Sept. 11, 1906 2,406,109 Schellenberg Aug. 20, 1946 

